Hurley Pro At Lower Trestles: Day 2 Photos And Video Highlights

-The kids are all right. Newcomers to the tour, Gabriel Medina and John Florence simply blew away their opponents today at Lowers. Gabriel sat on the lefts and punted away seemingly without any effort at all. While the Brazilian went the aerial route, John John threw a mixed bag of tricks at a shocked Alejo Muniz. It’s the perfect venue for the two to kickoff their World Tour debuts and I expect those two to do more damage as the contest rolls on.

-“The Cut” proves uneventful. All we heard through the year was how “The Cut” was going to reinvigorate the ASP World Tour. With only three guys added (and three cut), that sure was a lot of talk for such a small amount of turnover.

- The judges hated on Conner Coffin. That may be a little harsh but seriously, what did they see in Ace Buchan’s waves that nobody else did? Conner won that heat on a buzzer beater. Kelly Slater felt the same, tweeting, “@Youngwisetails wow. Should be me and you. Judges murdered that last score. Easily best wave. Sorry but great surfing.” Robbed!

-Jadson Andre’s frontside airs are simply amazing…but he needs to mix it up. The high-flying Brazilian went ballistic against Dusty Payne, but at some point he’s got to smooth out his style and mix in a few different maneuvers—the judges won’t reward repetition no matter how gnarly it is. If he tweaks his act just a little bit, dude could be unstoppable on the Lowers lefts…especially if the NW “air wind” hangs around.

Gabriel Medina. Photo: Jackenglish.com

-While there were fleeting moments of awesomeness, the overall vibe was kind of subdued. I’ll chalk it up to a case of the Mondays and the unseasonably cool and gray weather—this shit is downright depressing! However, the forecast is calling for a bit more swell and sunshine in the coming days so this thing should end with a bang.—Justin Coté

ASP Press Release: Next Generation Lights Up Lowers In Round 2 Of Hurley Pro At Trestles

LOWER TRESTLES, California / USA (Monday, September 19, 2011) – The Hurley Pro at Trestles, Event No. 7 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, recommenced in rippable two-to-four (1 metre) surf at Lowers this morning for Round 2 of competition, and it was the youngsters lighting things up in the elimination man-on-man bouts.

Jadson Andre (BRA), 21, took the day’s top honors despite the inconsistent nature of his heat and locked into two lefts to earn the day’s top scores. The high-flying Brazilian built momentum against dangerous Hawaiian Dusty Payne (HAW), 22, launching an 8.17 (out of 10), and shortly found another left and unloaded a powerful forehand carve and finished the wave with an inverted air-reverse to notch a 9.43 (out of 10).

“The last few years I’ve been working on my carves and the waves I learned how to surf on, the only thing you can do is big airs on the beach breaks,” Andre said. “It’s the first thing I learned how to do and I know how to do them well. When the wind’s onshore like that it’s way easier to do airs, I saw Gabriel (Medina) do the same.” Andre, who is often praised for his aerial game, is equally well-rounded in his turns and the talented goofy-footer knows to keep an open mind in his heats when approaching the Lower Trestles lineup.

“In the morning, with the offshores, it’s not as easy to do the airs,” Andre said. “We’ll see what happens, you can’t just think about the airs, you have to think about what’s going to be the best turn to do at that time. Hopefully I can keep going.” Andre will take on compatriot Adriano de Souza (BRA), 23, in Round 3 of competition.

John John Florence (HAW), 18, who is competing in his first event as an official member of the ASP Top 34, launched to action in Round 2. The Hawaiian prodigy tore through the right-handers on offer at Lowers this morning with a series stylish forehand gouges and fin-ditches to earn an excellent 17.53 (out of 20) heat-total to eliminate Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21. “I’m really excited,” Florence said. “Alejo (Muniz) is one of my good friends and I’m bummed for him, but I’m super stoked to make it. I was actually going to go left on that one wave because Alejo had priority and then he didn’t get into it so I got that good right. Hopefully I can make some heats, Lowers is such a fun wave.”

Florence will face off against current ASP World No. 2, Owen Wright (AUS), 21, in Round 3.

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, ASP World Tour rookie, reveled in the lefthand ramps in his afternoon heat, consistently launching a series of frontside airs to dispatch of competitive veteran Travis Logie (ZAF), 32, to move through to Round 3. “I had so much fun,” Medina said. “I was looking for some good waves in the beginning of the heat and was able to get two good ones. It was my second heat on the World Tour and I’m pretty stoked to make it. I’m just happy to be here at Trestles.”

Medina will take on Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, in Round 3 of the Hurley Pro at Trestles.

Adrian Buchan (AUS), 29, was one veteran campaigner to dispatch of his young competitor today, getting the best of dangerous Hurley Pro at Trestles Wildcard Conner Coffin (USA), 17, in a close heat which came down to the wire.

“You always get those close ones when the heat goes on hold and that was a close one,” Buchan said. “Conner (Coffin) is a great surfer. It was just exciting to win a close heat. He’s put in a 15 plus heat total and that’s a great score and it’s got to give him a lot of confidence. I’m really looking forward to watching his career develop over the years. I think he’s got a really good base which sets him apart from his generation. He’s focused on the basics and he’s also dangerous in the air, so he’s got a lot of boxes and he’s going to be dangerous when he puts it all together.”

Buchan was lethal on his backhand and unloaded a series of committed blasts to the tune of 8.67 on his highest scoring ride which to be the deciding factor in the tight heat over Coffin. “I probably didn’t control the heat that much at the start, but I just sat there and waited for the 8.67,” Buchan said. “I felt really good on that wave and actually didn’t finish it. If I had finished it, that probably would have put the result beyond doubt, but an 8’s a really attainable score out there on a set.”

“On the first wave I thought I was a little off,” Hobgood said. “You can get jittery and the surf is so weak that if you put your foot wrong you can mess up. After that I felt pretty good. I felt like I was on the better side of the sets and knew I wouldn’t compete with Melling on the fast runners. Knew I had to get the ones that were bigger, slower and a little wedgier, fortunate enough, it paid off.”

Hobgood will take on Kieren Perrow (AUS), 32, in Round 3 of competition. Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am local time for a possible 8am start to Hurley Pro at Trestles competition.

When competition recommences, up fiorst will be Taj Burrow (AUS), 32, against Kai Otton (AUS), 31, in the opening heat of Round 3.

Surfline, official forecasters for the Hurley Pro at Trestles, are calling for a series of small southerly swells will move in over the next few days of the event waiting period to offer very contestable surf. Easing surf will prevail for the last couple days of the waiting period.

Highlights from the Hurley Pro at Trestles are available via www.hurley.com/hurleypro